Enlightenment is awakening and resting in/as the undivided, eternal, effervescent, formless Self. It is the shattering of the illusion of mind/body identification. And then opinions are seen as clouds passing in the sky, with no origin, no solidity, and no consequence to Self.

MICHAEL: No mind can accept the present moment as it is; already whole and free, lacking nothing. Why? Because the mind has a project to do: fix/improve “my” life. The mind imagines a “you” who has a “life.” And so in this imaginary, dualistic mind-made world, the present moment is seen as never being good enough… at least not for long.

The way out of the chronic suffering is to realize that thoughts are an appearance, not a cause. The only true cause is Life itself. Life is spontaneously “doing” Life, not thoughts. Thoughts are part of the production, an appearance within the dream. Just like at night when the dream character gets an idea during the dream… the idea is simply more dream.

Freedom is always already the case. It’s the BELIEF in thoughts that say otherwise that is the cause of our suffering.There is only ever what’s presently happening, however it’s showing up. So if boredom or stress or anxiety or sadness or depression is showing up, then that is perfectly what is showing up. The wishing it weren’t happening when it clearly is is the root of our suffering.

The moment is no less whole or complete just because a thought claims to be unhappy. Indeed, that unhappy thought is itself wholeness appearing as an unhappy thought! FREEDOM CAN LOOK LIKE ANYTHING, which is not how the mind imagines freedom is suppose to look like! And it’s precisely because we have learned ideas of what freedom is suppose to look/feel like that most of us overlook the fact that freedom is so free that it’s free to be whatever is presently showing up, however it’s showing up.

Again, note that a thought that says this isn’t how freedom is suppose to look/feel isn’t the problem. It’s the BELIEF in the thought that says this isn’t how freedom is suppose to look/feel that causes our suffering.

And yet, even if we are believing a thought that claims this shouldn’t be happening, seeing clearly that is simply what is happening brings an acceptance beyond trying to accept or not accept. This “resisting thought” too is clearly seen as simply what’s presently arising and thus not a problem.

Freedom is seeing that the present moment is already eternally free, regardless of any transient appearance.